The Foreign Ministry welcomes with satisfaction the decision unanimously taken by the Member States of the World Heritage Committee convened in Bogota to include in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list three new elements proposed by Italy: the practice of Transhumance, together with Austria and Greece; Alpinism, together with France and Switzerland; and the Celestinian forgiveness celebration (Perdonanza Celestiniana), the historical religious event that takes place in L’Aquila every year.
This positive result was obtained thanks to a networked action conducted by the Foreign Ministry together with the Italian National Commission for UNESCO, MIBACT, MIPAAF and MATTM, besides local Authorities, Communities and the Proposing Committees. At the same time, Italy chose to work together with other Countries on transnational candidacies, with the aim of promoting some aspects of our common culture.
With this listing, the Italian traditions represented in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list rise to twelve. It thus represents a recognition of our Country’s commitment to preserve practices that best express our historic and cultural heritage and focus on the balance between Man and Nature, in the full respect of biodiversity and of the sustainable use of natural resources.
